1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure pertains generally to weapon systems, and more particularly to a gas seal for a high impact, non-lethal gas powered system.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art A prior art gas powered weapon system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,830,214 and 3,889,652. As taught therein, the weapon system is comprised of a projectile launcher and gas powered cartridge assembly that is insertable therein. The launcher is comprised of a selectively releasable spring loaded piston that is slidably located in a handle member. The handle member is engaged to a connecting end of a barrel member, and the connecting end of the barrel defines a receiver wherein a cartridge assembly is inserted.
The cartridge assembly is comprised of a cylindrical case having a deformable projectile and one or more pressurized gas cartridges slidably disposed in opposite ends thereof. A sharp edged piercing element is immovably supported within the case and directed towards an exterior surface of the gas cartridge The piercing element is adapted to puncture the gas cartridge in response to displacement of the gas cartridge by selective release of the piston, whereby the releasable pressure energy of the gas within the gas cartridge is utilized as a launching means for the projectile.
In another aspect of the prior art device, it is taught that when the pressurized gas cartridge is punctured to release the pressurized gas, that a substantial amount of pressurized gas energy release can be lost due to leakage between the inner surface of the cylindrical case supporting the gas cartridge and the outer surface of the gas cartridge itself. Various gas seal means are described to effectively seal an end portion of the pressurized gas cartridge against the passage of the gas by utilizing a sealing force generated by the pressure of the gas media. The various prior art gas seal members are depicted in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,652 and described therein. These gas seal members have the general deficiency that they are designed to move or flex with movement of the gas cartridge within the device. In this functional capacity, the seals may tend to impede the required movement of the gas cartridge during the puncturing thereof, resulting in the possible malfunction of the device. Such a malfunction can have potentially disastrous and life-threatening consequences where the device is utilized to impede an attacker and it misfires.